The Razor Path
by ScarletRedfox
Summary: Tifa finds herself in the hands of a dangerous cult dedicated to the worship of the fallen SOLDIER Sephiroth, it's up to Cloud to save her this time before it's too late. With newfound confidence and a renewed love for his makeshift family, Cloud sets off to save her but with the price of his own suffering. POST ACC.
1. The Missing Barmaid

**Summary:** Tifa finds herself in the hands of a dangerous cult dedicated to the worship of the fallen SOLDIER Sephiroth, it's up to Cloud to save her this time before it's too late. With newfound confidence and a renewed love for his makeshift family, Cloud sets off to save her but with the price of his own suffering. POST ACC.

 **Hello dear readers!** Some may know me from my other FFVII stories, some not, but please call me Redfox for short! ;) Now this story is a long awaited prompt from my good friend Kender20! I do hope I've managed to meet her expectations! Thank you all for reading!

* * *

 **The Missing Barmaid**

Fenrir's engine roared with life as Cloud maneuvered his way through the road, noting he had to take care of the mild wound on his forearm once he returned home, miniature sand particles scratching against it uncomfortably reminding him of the stinging pain. After delivering his last parcel to Costa de Sol, Barret had phoned him and told him of monster attacks in Kalm that, surprisingly enough, Barret himself couldn't take care of.

It had taken a great deal of grumbling and cursing on Barret's part to admit the monsters outnumbered him too greatly and he would need a extra pair of hands to deal with them. Cloud had wisely not commented, just said he would come as soon as possible. Travelling from place to place and having spent a night under the stars, fatigue had slowly taken over Cloud's features but the ex-SOLDIER stubbornly pushed the thoughts of rest to the back of his mind, finding comfort in the fact he was close to home.

The monsters hadn't been particularly powerful, but they had been swift and agile, making them that much a harder target to hit. Barret's size had given him a disadvantage in dealing with them, but thankfully Cloud was accustomed to fighting with agile and fast fighters, so the problem was taken care of rather quickly before Cloud headed out again.

Shooting a wary look behind him to ensure the small pink parcel was still safely strapped to the seat, Cloud sped up and swiveled around a rock, enjoying the wind caressing his face.

He glanced at his phone, wondering why Tifa hadn't called yet to inform him of other deliveries. It would be impossible he didn't have any for the day, after all, it was still early in the afternoon and Cloud remembered promising a few customers he couldn't have taken care of yesterday to be postponed for today.

A frown marred his features and he pulled Fenrir to a halt as he support the weight of the bike with one leg on the ground and took his phone out, dialing the familiar number of Seventh Heaven.

It rang thrice and still no answer. Cloud frowned, hanging up. Odd...normally Tifa would answer after the second ring. He checked the time again, it was just two o'clock, he doubted the bar was so crowded that Tifa couldn't answer, especially at this time of the day.

Refusing to listen to the little voice at the back of his mind that kept telling him something bad had happened to Tifa and the kids, Cloud started Fenrir up again and added a bit more speed in the direction of Edge.

After a few miles of driving, Cloud's phone started ringing and a sense of relief filled the warrior at the fact Tifa called him back. Stopping the monstrous bike once again, Cloud flipped his phone open and answered, "Tifa-"

" _Cloud!"_ Marlene's terrified voice startled Cloud and immediately, that worried voice at the back of his mind grew louder.

"Marlene? What is it? Where's Tifa?" his gaze narrowed with worry, wondering why Marlene was answering the phone at the bar.

" _Cloud! You have to come as soon as possible! Tifa's gone! Someone destroyed bottles downstairs so Denzel and I went to look but Tifa was gone!"_ Marlene sounded near tears and Cloud's heart gave a painful tug at the sound, keeping his own emotions in check.

"Calm down Marlene, did you see who was down at the bar?" Cloud grit his teeth, tempted to start Fenrir up again but he couldn't while he was talking on the phone. Unlike other vehicles, Fenrir could drive himself, but the risk was too great when Cloud didn't have his sword out acting as counterbalance so the bike stayed upright while driving.

" _N-No! But, but we think there were more! Cloud, please you have to come as soon as possible!"_ Cloud's grip on his phone tightened.

"You and Denzel go to my room and lock yourselves in until I'm there. I'm coming Marlene," Cloud heard the affirmative 'alright' come from Denzel before he hung up, quickly pocketing his phone and kicking Fenrir into high gear, the rocks and few trees a blur as he zipped past them.

Finally spotting the growing city ahead of him, Cloud's worry spiked. Who could have possibly kidnapped Tifa? And for what reason? Sephiroth was dead, there was no way the remnants or anyone else could be behind this.

 _'_ _I'll never be a memory,'_ eerie words laced with a bittersweet chill from his cadet days sent the hairs of the back of Cloud's neck standing on end. He shook his head, refusing to believe Sephiroth had _anything_ to do with it.

Maybe...Rufus... but could he? Cloud shook his head again, no, Rufus wouldn't do this, not now anyway. As cruel as his father had been, Rufus didn't quite inherit _all_ of his traits and Cloud found that fact alone comforting. According to Reno, Rufus was now actively working _with_ Reeve and the WRO, trying to adapt to using fossil fuels instead of mako.

Rufus wasn't exactly Cloud's favorite person and if he could help it, he would rather avoid stumbling into him on the street. Tifa would always tease him, whenever he would look physically ill if he had seen Rufus on the street. It had become something of a running gag in their little family. Whenever the rare occurrence presented itself that one of the Turks or Reno and Rude came asking for Cloud, Tifa would always say he was away on business, while that was true most of the time, sometimes Cloud would be in his room and wait until the two Turks would finally leave.

He remembered how Tifa would sometimes joke how, if Cloud hadn't harbored such an intense dislike towards Rufus and vice versa, that they could even pass off as brothers.

Now _that_ made him physically ill.

Pushing the amusing memories of his family to the back of his mind for the time being, Cloud saw he was a good few feet away from Seventh Heaven, the now polished and nearly stark white angel statue as if welcoming him home.

Seventh _Heaven_ indeed.

Cloud pulled Fenrir to a stop just outside the garage, quickly dismounting and selecting the main blade from one of the slots, taking the smaller side blade to be sheathed into the harness on his back.

With swift, careful movements, Cloud opened the nearly unhinged door to the bar, frowning at the chaos that greeted him inside.

Bottles of various sizes and brands lay shattered on the floor and bar counter, a speck of blood was visible on the woodsy surface of the bar top and Cloud couldn't help but wonder if it was Tifa's. Several chairs had been haphazardly thrown off their usual spots or rested partially broken on the floor, suffering the same fate as the bottles had.

Quickly walking up the stairs, Cloud stopped in front of his room, steeling himself and forcing his voice to remain calm despite the urgency he felt was running through his veins, "Marlene, Denzel, it's me," he waited for the children to open and soon enough, soft footsteps thundered to the door and the lock rotated.

Marlene flung the door open and both children immediately ran into Cloud's arms, burying their faces against his stomach, small tears prickling at the corner of Marlene's eyes as Denzel just held him tight, "Cloud! You're here!" Marlene's frightened voice caused Cloud's blood to boil, whoever scared them as much as they did, they would _pay_.

Cloud looked down at the distressed children, placing a soothing hand on each of their backs and making slow circular motions to calm them down, a thing he remembered from his own childhood his mother used to do whenever he himself was in distress. It seemed to work as he felt their grips around his waist loosen slightly and Cloud gently disentangled himself from them to kneel on the ground and talk to them eye to eye.

"What happened?" Cloud's gaze quickly scanned both children from head to toe and thankfully found them both to be unscathed.

Denzel placed a comforting but shaky hand on Marlene's shoulder and Cloud couldn't help but notice how protective he was of Marlene at that moment despite his own fear.

It was Denzel this time that spoke up, "Like we said, we heard loud crashes coming from the bar and at first we didn't go downstairs because we thought it was a fight in the bar Tifa could handle. But then we heard screaming and after we called out to Tifa, she didn't answer," Denzel bit his lip, gaze worried, "We...we went downstairs but she wasn't there anymore. We looked outside too but nobody was there..."

Cloud frowned, "Those men, they didn't sound familiar?"

Both children shook their heads and Cloud sighed, standing up and taking out his phone.

He called the only babysitter he knew capable and responsible enough to watch after the children while he went in search of Tifa as well as protect them should those men come back.

"Vincent," Cloud was glad Marlene and Tifa had bought the man a phone after decades of going without it, it came in handy in times such as these.

 _"_ _Cloud,"_ their usual greeting fulfilled, Cloud got right down to business.

"I need you to watch after Marlene and Denzel, Tifa has been kidnapped by some men," he waited for the gunslinger to answer.

" _Shinra?"_ Cloud pushed his earlier suspicions to the back of his mind, sometimes, quiet minds think alike.

"Doubt it, Rufus has no motive to harm her. Marlene said they didn't recognize the voices of the men,"

" _Hn..."_ Vincent gave a thoughtful hum, " _I'll be there shortly,"_

Cloud nodded, relief washing over him and he hung up, turning back to Marlene and Denzel.

"Vincent will come to watch over you two, I'll try to find out where they are," he walked past the children into his room, eyes locking on the map he had glued to the wall, mind mapping out routes towards where he discovered caves or rock formations adequate for shelter. Perfect hiding spots the men may be hiding.

"Cloud," Denzel shyly stared at his shoes when his hero turned to look at him, after a whole year of defeating Sephiroth and Geostigma, Denzel had returned to a happy boy again but he had shown he possessed some characteristics of Cloud.

He would be just a bit quieter, would look sometimes just a bit too seriously, but Tifa never failed to break that wall the boy tried building around himself with affectionate words and hugs. A thing that with time, was beginning to work on Cloud himself, well...with more encouraging words than hugs.

Cloud crouched down low, placing a firm hand on the boy's shoulder and squeezed, "Listen Denzel, I know you and Marlene are scared," Denzel's head shot up to voice a sound of protest at the prospect of being scared in front of his hero but Cloud silenced him with a look, "Sometimes, it's alright to be afraid. I'm afraid too," he gave a small, soft smile.

Cloud was still learning how to show his emotions through expressions and gestures, sometimes he would succeed, other times not. But he was trying and that was all Tifa really asked of him, to try. He learned by smiling more often, it would make the people around him happier, so he tried to do it as often as his reservations allowed.

Denzel nodded meekly, biting his lip and Cloud gently ruffled his messy hair, "Your hair's gotten longer, maybe Tifa can cut it once she comes back," at the soft utter of encouragement, Denzel's eyes widened as he stared up at his hero, a gleam in his eyes Cloud was glad to see after Geostigma and Sephiroth disappeared.

Denzel nodded, the determined look appeared stronger in his eyes now, "Mhm, yeah!" he grinned and Cloud chuckled softly, ruffling his messy hair again before Denzel tried swatting his hand away.

The blond warrior stood up and the children took him by the arms and together they walked downstairs, the trio surveyed the mess at the bar and kitchen and Cloud walked toward the door and turned the sign to ' _Closed'_ for today.

"We will have to clean it up," Marlene commented, already going to the back in the storage room to grab a broom.

Just then, the bell chimed as the door opened and the tall gunslinger greeted them with a quiet nod of his head.

Cloud nodded back, "Vincent,"

"Cloud," both men greeted each-other when Marlene suddenly bounded to the tall man and grinned cheekily.

"How is your phone?" Vincent lifted the side of his cape so Marlene saw the slim gleaming device strapped to his hip, polished black in color, very much similar to Cloud's.

"I use it," he shrugged and Cloud smirked.

"Thank you Vincent," Cloud said again, mentally patting himself on the back. He had gotten better with communicating.

Vincent nodded silently, "Go, I'll take care of them,"

Cloud suddenly took the broom resting against the wall and shoved it into his hands as he bypassed him, "There's a mess in the kitchen and around the bar,"

Vincent wordlessly turned around, icy glare fixated upon his friend's back as said man mounted his bike and drove off.

Vincent turned to the two children staring up at him again and Marlene already asked the question he dreaded most, "Do you know how to clean?"

Strife _definitely_ owned him.

* * *

Fenrir swiftly came to a stop just outside the Healen Lodge, Rufus' occasional office since the project started of rebuilding a "new" Shinra company.

Cloud ascended the familiar wooden steps, hand already resting on the hilt of his sword. Exactly a second after he opened the door, Cloud drew his sword and the blade clashed against another weapon, sending small sparks flying as metal met metal.

Cloud's gaze narrowed, "Reno," he grunted in greeting, voice firm and eyes sharp.

Reno lazily regarded him, pulling back his rod to rest on his shoulder, "Strife," he nodded, smirking in amusement.

Cloud ignored him to regard the pale blond man sitting at his desk, Rude and Tseng standing guard behind him. Cloud shared a look with Tseng, but didn't say anything.

Rufus lifted his head, pausing in his writing to smile almost... _pleasantly_ , "Now isn't this a surprise. Come to visit? Or have you perhaps changed your mind about joining-"

Cloud cut in before Rufus finished, "I need Tseng's assistance," it was as close a call for help as he was willing to voice and Cloud already found his ire rising at the situation he was forced to go through. But if it meant saving Tifa, Cloud would resort to drastic measures if need be.

Finding Tifa wouldn't be an easy task, especially not since he had no clue where to start looking and there have been no clues left at the bar either. The kids hadn't seen the men and couldn't describe them and Cloud couldn't think of anyone from Edge dumb enough to mess with either him or Tifa.

A pale eyebrow arched in curiosity and Tseng shot Cloud a questioning glance, "Is that so? And why, if I may ask, do you require one of my Turks?"

Cloud set his jaw tight, mako blue eyes staring unflinchingly at the Shinra son, "Tifa's been kidnapped and I don't know by whom, they're not anyone we've messed before," his gaze narrowed, daring Rufus to waste time any longer.

Rufus contemplated his words, hands crossed in front of his face, studying Cloud's tense posture and the urgency reflected in his eyes.

"So, it's a new enemy then, you suspect it's a group?" his tone was curious and suspicious, unable to give a clear answer to Cloud's question.

Cloud's grip on his sword tightened and Reno's gaze was lazily drawn to the action, rod tapping lightly against his shoulder, "The kids said there were more men that had ambushed the bar and overwhelmed Tifa but they didn't see who they were," he looked off to the side, corded muscles contracting visibly at his neck.

At Rufus' silence, Cloud's patience began running thin, "I'm leaving-" before he could turn around Rufus spoke up.

"Tseng, I want you to accompany Cloud on his mission, send for reinforcements if necessary," he waved a hand in dismissal and only then did the head Turk dare to move from his position behind him and join Cloud's side, offering Rufus a respectful bow.

Cloud didn't bother turning around to thank Rufus for his assistance, after all, he still owed Cloud for saving the world, _twice_.

"Cloud," Rufus' voice penetrated the air and Cloud came to a stop in front of the opened door, Tseng right behind him.

The blond turned his head, indicating he was listening before Rufus began to speak, "Please inform me of Miss Lockhart's safe return as well as who the group you're dealing with is," he nodded for Cloud to go.

Cloud nodded and smirked, "We'll see Rufus," before he exited the lodge with Tseng hot on his heels.

Silence enveloped the remaining members of Shinra in the office until Reno suddenly grinned like a cat and winked at his superior, "You have the hots for her don't you, yo?" Reno grinned at Rude, who only shook his head at his friend.

Rufus closed his eyes, trying hard not to verbally lash out at the daring redhead before he uttered a single name, "Rude,"

The dark skinned male sighed in exasperation, rolling his eyes behind his shades before he grabbed Reno by the scruff of his messy dress shirt and dragged him to the other room with him, Reno's loud protests muffled by the now closed door.

Rufus exhaled and offered a slow, small smile.

 **First chapter is finished for now! Thank you for reading and leave a review to let me know what you think! :)**


	2. Finding the Culprit

**Hello dear readers!** I'm back with another chapter and this time Cloud encounters the formidable enemy holding Tifa captive.

 **ANWERS TO REVIEWS:**

 **Kender20:** Thanks a lot buddy, I do hope I'm managing to satisfy your expectations! ;)

 **Astrid Midnight:** Ah, long time no see! :) All will be revealed in due time! ;)

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Finding the Culprit**

"How do you plan on finding her?" thanks to his mako enhancements Cloud was able to hear the Turk despite the wind rushing in his ears and the purring engine of Fenrir as they drove away from Healen Lodge.

"I'll ask around for the time being," Cloud turned his head slightly to look at the Turk from the corner of his eyes once he made sure there were no obstacles ahead of the road, "...Could you not try to suffocate me?" he stated bluntly, subtly indicating the death grip Tseng had around Cloud's midsection, fingers gripping his vest so tightly Cloud thought a hole would appear and he would need to sew it again.

The head Turk promptly loosened his grip, if ever so slightly, glaring at the blond, "Apologies...it has been a long time since I last drove with such a vehicle...if ever," Tseng cleared his throat uncomfortably.

Blurred memories took Cloud back to a time, in his mako muddled mind, where he registered the same wind rushing through his hair, sitting in a small, cramped seat next to a driving motorcycle, a Harley Daytona if he remembered correctly.

The driver offered light jokes, comforting words and the mane of dark spiky hair blew in the wind behind him, expertly maneuvering the large bike to swiftly evade the gunfire from the helicopter tailing after them.

But that was all they were now, memories. Cloud's grip on the steering handles tightened and he sped up.

"Why me?" Cloud smirked slightly, obvious confusion in the Wutaian man's voice.

A heartbeat later came the answer, "You've worked with Zack before, right? Helped him?" he waited patiently for an answer.

Tseng hesitated, memories of the fallen SOLDIER returning to him and causing guilt ridden feelings and nausea to settle in the pit of his stomach and Cloud took note when the grip around his waist grew tighter, grasping fingers now shaking ever so subtly.

"It wasn't your fault," Tseng's eyes widened behind Cloud's back, "Shinra was just faster, you got your information late. Zack never blamed you for it, not ever Tseng," Cloud's words were firm yet comforting, the nausea in Tseng's stomach calming a bit.

He swallowed, "I have...he was an excellent SOLDIER," Tseng was proud to find there was no moisture in his eyes, but a weight in his heart.

Cloud smiled, "He taught me some tricks, but I don't think I could really perfect them the way he did," he shook his head with a fond smile, "He always did tell me I didn't train hard enough," a pause, another amused smirk, "Thankfully, he didn't beat the nightly squats into my head."

Tseng chuckled behind him and Cloud chuckled lowly as well, speeding up until they neared a small rundown town not too far from Edge.

Both dismounted the bike and walked to the nearest passerby they stumbled upon, "Hey," the short man stopped, eyes widening when he recognized the wild spiky blond hair and the mako blue eyes.

"Wait...you're Cloud Strife, right? From that delivery service?" the man's voice didn't seem frightened, rather a bit apprehensive if anything.

Cloud nodded, "Have you seen this woman?" Cloud retrieved a small photo from the inside of his wallet, showing a picture of Tifa to the man.

His eyes narrowed but he shook his head, "Not around here I didn't, but I've heard some guys describing the lady before, they've passed by here to their way to Edge I think," the man shrugged.

Cloud's gaze narrowed, "Can you describe them for me?"

Another nonchalant shrug, "Most of 'em were pretty much a bit smaller than your average male around here, a bit dainty looking, looked like women to be honest. One of them was taller than the rest and looked like leading the group, they talked in low voices so I couldn't hear everything they said. But from what I heard, I thought they were just crazy," he shook his head, "Bet it's those new drugs on the market nowadays,"

Tseng interfered this time, "What did they say?" both Cloud and him braced themselves.

The man's eyes looked haunted, "...They..." he looked around, before leaning in closer to them, his own voice lowering to a mere whisper, "They talked about reviving Sephiroth or something, said something they would need some cells or whatever," he backed away slowly, hands in the air, "But hey, listen, you didn't hear this from me got it? That's all I know," and soon, he was out of their sight.

Cloud frowned in thought, looking at the ground, Tseng's words barely registering in his mind, "Reviving Sephiroth? How is that even possible? The S cells should have all been destroyed, Jenova's remains don't exist anymore,"

With a split second decision, Cloud turned on his heel and mounted his bike, stern gaze directed toward a confused Tseng, "What are you waiting for? Get on,"

With Tseng situated behind him, death grip around him again, cloud drove off, driving towards the only help he could think of now.

"What are you planning?" he shouted over the loud roar of Fenrir but Cloud remained silent at first, goggles in place as his gaze narrowed at the terrain.

"You'll see," Cloud said little else as the wind blew stronger and Tseng forced his pride and embarrassment away as he nearly crushed Cloud's ribs, trying not to fall of the monstrous motorcycle.

Finally arriving at the place Cloud knew he would get help, he dismounted and this time, Tseng stayed behind to watch Cloud interact with what appeared to be a mechanic.

The man shook Cloud's hand firmly and grinned before frowning at something Cloud said, which was too low for Tseng to hear.

Agonizing seconds later, Cloud finally returned with a square piece of paper in his hand.

It was a map, but one location marked with an 'X' caught Tseng's eye, "What is there?" he rose an eyebrow, studying the map.

"A lead," Cloud nodded toward the marked location, "Apparently, some people have gone missing there in that cave and there seems to be some sort of weird energy radiating off of it."

"And you think that's where they brought Tifa?" Tseng was skeptical, it could be a false lead, with all the scarce information they had.

Cloud shook his head, "It's a start and I can't wait any longer, who knows in what condition Tifa is in right now," his gaze hardened and Tseng suddenly saw bits and pieces of the hardened, cocky SOLDIER persona Cloud had adopted while his memory had still been ridden with Zack's own, the dangerous glint in his eyes ready to slay his enemies.

"Wait, let me send notice to my Turks so they check the area," after keeping his gaze steady on Cloud's, the ex-SOLDIER relented, nodding.

After a quick call, a description of the cave's coordinates, Rude and Reno were at said area in minutes with their helicopter.

Another call from Reno and Tseng put him on speaker, "What did you find, Reno?"

The redhead's voice rang out through the phone and into Cloud's ears, " _It's a cave, alright! But somethin's up, boss. There's some sorta glow, it's green and you know what a weird green energy glow outside Midgar usually means,"_

Cloud whispered the dreadful word before he could stop himself, "Mako,"

" _That's right, Choccobo. I don't know with what you'll be dealing with, so get ready to thrash the place. There are two entrances on the front and back side. Rude tried researching those shady figures you described, seems like they're a cult known to worship Sephiroth, yo,"_ the blood in Cloud's veins froze and Tseng's eyes widened.

"A cult? For the worship of Sephiroth?" Cloud's lips turned into a thin line, eyes narrowed as he directly addressed Reno.

"Reno, can you tell me anything else about them? Their numbers? Abilities?" he waited patiently for the pilot to answer, one hand resting on his hip.

" _Yeah, seems like their leader's a skilled materia user but her followers ain't a pushover either. Shinra discovered them at one point or another years ago, but written them off as a fanclub for Sephiroth so they never got any trouble, yo. Their numbers dwindled though with Sephiroth's defeat,"_ Cloud frowned, sharing a look with Tseng.

"I need you to track their movements should something change and keep an eye out on Edge while I go and bring Tifa back," Cloud motioned for Tseng to get off Fenrir, but the Turk remained stubborn.

"What? You said you needed my help! I'll help you defeat them Cloud, I can call Reno and Rude for back up if nece-"

"No," Cloud cut in, shutting Tseng up surprisingly, the Turk stared at him questioningly.

"What is your plan, Cloud? Storming in and swing your sword? I know after defeating Sephiroth and ridding yourself of Geostigma you've started to become closer to the orphans and Tifa but not even you would survive this alone if they're as skilled as Reno says they are," a fleeting memory of a teary Cissnei reporting Zack's death flashed in his mind's eye and Tseng's heart constricted painfully.

He didn't think Cloud's furious gaze would ever be quite directed at him, "Those _orphans_ you're talking about are my family Tseng and so is Tifa. Marlene and Denzel can't live without her and neither can I," without another word, Cloud mounted his bike and put his goggles in place, "It just took me a while to realize it," with that he drove off, leaving Tseng to stand there where he dropped him off.

" _So, uh...we gonna follow him?"_ Tseng remained silent, " _Yo! Boss?"_ with a heavy sigh Tseng turned off the speaker device and put the phone close to his ear.

"No, we'll let _them_ deal with it," Tseng ignored Reno's confused outburst and hung up, instead dialing another familiar number he hadn't used in ages.

" _Hello?"_ the deep voice from the other end answered and Tseng smiled.

"Remember me?"

" _It's difficult to forget when you call every week,"_ another pause, " _What's wrong?"_

"It's Cloud, he's heading to the direction where we suspect they took Tifa to. I'll send you the coordinates," before he hung up, Tseng quickly added, "Another thing,"

" _Hm...?"_

"Try to call more, " Tseng smirked slightly, "I think the team would like to drink with you some time,"

" _You converse enough for the both of us, Tseng,"_ the man ignored the second statement completely.

"Don't get so confident after you've just acquired a phone after decades,"

There was only a low grunt.

* * *

Fenrir moved fast through the dusty plains and dry sands just outside of what once used to be Midgar, zipping past blurry rock formations as it's rider sped up.

 _Stop running!_

Cloud tensed, memories of a very important conversation resurfacing in his mind.

 _Which is it? A memory or us?_

Tifa's pained expression entered his thoughts and Cloud hoped he didn't have to see it again anytime soon. Fear gripped his heart in an iron vice, noting the area around him and turning sharply when he mapped out the location in his head.

He wasn't prone to emotional outbursts like many of his friends, he didn't like to speak much or mingle with the crowd a lot too. He supposed he wasn't that much different in his youth, apart from smiling more often and cracking light jokes back then. He smirked, shaking his head, his hair had been worse back then too. Thankfully he wouldn't ever touch any hair gel for the rest of his life.

Feeling the dormant power of the materia orbs he always had secured in a compartment within Fenrir, Cloud mentally went through what he had stored. Two powerful healing materias, a barrier materia _Wall_ specifically if he encountered any skillful materia users, a lightning materia and one cure materia.

Cloud went over Reno's words concerning the enemies' abilities ' _Seems like their leader's a skilled materia user but her followers ain't a pushover either.'_ He didn't have much to go on, but if they were skilled materia users he would be at a slight disadvantage.

Being an expert swordsman, Cloud hadn't had the pleasure of encountering materia users all that often in his travels, most materia users kept to themselves or simply went against other materia users to stand on equal ground.

Materia users usually weren't very strong, nor had the protection should it come to physical blows, so both were at disadvantages should swordsman and materia user encounter each-other.

The blonde slowed to a stop after spotting Reno's helicopter flying away, he decided to go in the opposite direction Reno was flying away from, leading Fenrir to a hill overlooking a steep rock formation holding some kind of cave, rock protrusions looking like spikes protruding from the sides of the cave as if physically warding off approaching enemies.

Cloud certainly wouldn't get deterred from that sight alone. Killing the engine, Cloud maneuvered this way and that, dodging protruding rocks and drifting sideways to lower the speed which he was going at, least he crashed and lost control of his bike. Bringing the front of Fenrir in the air, Cloud sped up and drove straight up toward the steep rock formation, molding himself to Fenrir's seat to ensure he wouldn't fall off as it got steeper and steeper.

Muscles tense in preparation, Cloud moved Fenrir into a back flip with a strong pull of his legs, the tips of his hair touching the ground underneath him before he managed to push the bike into a upright position and not squish himself between his bike and the merciless ground beneath him.

Releasing a small breath, Cloud surveyed the entrance to the cave before dismounting, unlocking the compartments on either side of Fenrir storing his swords and this time, Cloud took all of them and interconnected them with the main blade. He didn't know how many opponents he was up against, not what each of their abilities were, he had a feeling he would need as much power as he possibly could.

Opening the compartment under his seat, Cloud pocketed two healing materias in one pocket, the lightning materia he fused with his sword, cure had come into the side pocket on his left and _Wall_ had been absorbed.

Cloud smirked when he found two more materia, an elemental one and a fire materia, absorbing those too, Cloud detached the side blade, if he did find himself outnumbered by multiple enemies, he would need to fight dual handed.

With slow, methodical steps, Cloud made his way into the dark cave-like entrance, spotting a lit hallway, which was oddly enough for a cave on the outskirts of town.

Following the path the candles provided, Cloud came to a carving on a side of a wall, reading:" _He who tarnishes His name shall feel nothing but pain,"_

Raising an eyebrow at the odd inscription, Cloud thought back to what Reno said about the so called cult. They worshipped Sephiroth, so "He" must be Sephiroth then. Anyone who tarnished Sephiroth would experience pain by their hand most likely.

Not even five feet away and he came across a similar wall, the inscription read, " _He who has no noble intentions for Him shall turn back or suffer Her wrath,"_

Confusion washed over the hero...her? Who was 'she'? Reno mentioned the group possibly consisting of women, but just who was meant by 'her'? Perhaps Jenova? If the group worshipped Sephiroth, surely they heard of Jenova?

Another few feet, another wall, " _He who dares questions His leadership and powers shall meet their end by Her blade,"_

Blade? Again with 'her'. Cloud tightened his grip on his swords, perhaps the "blade" was meant symbolically, promising great pain and suffering from her hands, or whoever the woman was really wielded a blade and Cloud was up against more than just materia users.

Deciding to continue walking, Cloud finally reached a rather open area, candles lightning the jagged stone into a circle, skulls perched on top of some sort of pikes, and what looked to be some sort of throne, shrouded in shadows.

Narrowing his eyes, Cloud was about to take a step forward when suddenly the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end and his muscles tensed, doing a back flip just in time to avoid being roasted by a powerful fire spell shot his way.

Bringing the flat side of his blade up to protect himself against the heat, Cloud swiftly turned around to parry another spell aimed at him, this time a lighting spell.

A shriek accompanied the attack and Cloud found himself staggering slightly as a weight slammed into him from behind, making his defensive stance break.

A spell suddenly hit him and Cloud's world started to spin, limbs growing heavier and heavier, the sword in his grasp clanking loudly to the ground as his eyes blinked heavily, trying to fight against the familiar effects of a spell he had rarely had the pleasure of experiencing: Sleepel.

For a moment, he staggered to the ground, in the next darkness enveloped him.

It had felt like hours after he had woken up, and almost immediately, Cloud vehemently fought against six women holding him down, one of them sent a small, but powerful electrical shock through his body from behind, the electric currents running through his system and causing his muscles to become slack and his head to spin and throb. Taking deep, ragged breaths, Cloud noticed four of the women were physically holding him down, while two had staffs pointed at his back, one charged with a lightning materia and the other, he didn't even want to know what that green glow meant, surely nothing that would heal him.

And then a fire brightened the candle just above the throne and the shadows covering the majestic seat before have vanished, revealing a regal-looking woman of tall stature with piercing green eyes, eyes like that of a serpent and long, flowing blonde hair tied into a tight braid. She was sitting with her long legs crossed over one another, a hand supporting her chin as if watching a spectacle and her eyes shining ominously in the dim lightning. A long flowing dress, white in color, adorned her body, slits at the side of her legs offering freedom and the exposure of the white skin underneath, a staff resting within reach beside her throne and a two dual blades, most likely powered by materia resting on the other side of her throne.

The woman's blood red lips spread into a venomous smirk, watching Cloud's struggling subduing the more shocks he became, until he staggered to one knee on the ground, glaring up at the woman obviously in charge of this whole clan.

Cloud's eyes widened, noting the unusual glow the woman had about her eyes, it couldn't be that she too had mako inside her body? That wouldn't be possible, she wasn't a member of SOLDIER, that...

The woman's eyes narrowed, a dark smirk etched onto her pretty pale face, "Welcome, ex-SOLDIER," her voice was deep and taunting, a mocking hum of amusement forcing its way out of her mouth, "I've been waiting for you," her words were dark and smooth, like silk shrouded in darkness and fear and Cloud found himself recognizing her from somewhere.

Her words echoed within the cave and her green, serpentine like eyes penetrated his very soul and suddenly the carvings on the walls made sense.

 _He who has no noble intentions for Him shall turn back or suffer Her wrath._

 _He who dares questions His leadership and powers shall meet their end by Her blade._

* * *

 **That's all for now folks! Hope everyone enjoyed the read! :) Thank you for reading!**


	3. The Razor Path

**The Razor Path**

* * *

 _Previously on "The Razor Path"..._

 _The woman's eyes narrowed, a dark smirk etched onto her pretty pale face, "Welcome, ex-SOLDIER," her voice was deep and taunting, a mocking hum of amusement forcing its way out of her mouth, "I've been waiting for you," her words were dark and smooth, like silk shrouded in darkness and fear and Cloud found himself recognizing her from somewhere._

 _Her words echoed within the cave and her green, serpentine like eyes penetrated his very soul and suddenly the carvings on the walls made sense._

 _He who has no noble intentions for Him shall turn back or suffer Her wrath._

 _He who dares questions His leadership and powers shall meet their end by Her blade._

Cloud took a deep breath, trying to keep himself calm as he looked up at the woman and simultaneously tried counting the number of enemies in the room he had to fight bare handed.

The fusion sword lay far out of his reach, leaning against a wall and guarded by...a man? Cloud's gaze narrowed, this so called cult consisted predominantly of women, but why was a man here? Denzel and Marlene said they heard male voices coming from the bar where Tifa had fought with them, so that meant there must be more of them but where? Cloud frowned, gaze directing back up towards the leader.

So far, he counted over thirty, with how much he could see anyway, there were more than likely to be more the deeper he explored this...crypt.

"What do you want?" the leader scoffed at his question, eyes shining with mirth and malice.

"Oh? Haven't you figured it out, ex-SOLDIER?" she smiled, "With Sephiroth's defeat by your hands," her gaze hardened suddenly, voice growing colder and deeper, more menacing, "So has vanished all hope in my heart. For the great Sephiroth to be revived again I'm sure you know what we require," the blood curling smile was on her lips again and Cloud found himself to be agitated with it.

"You need pure S cells for it, but I don't have them," he glared at the woman, muscles bulging as he tried fighting back only to be shocked by the lightning materia behind him.

The leader's gaze hardened, teeth flashing in a angry snarl, "Oh really? You do not lie to _me_ , ex-SOLDIER. I know all about your connection to Sephiroth," she paused, the coy smile on her face again, "...and that woman I've taken from your lovely home," she laughed, throwing her head back.

At that, Cloud stiffened, trying to keep his cool, "Where is she?"

Irked by the fearsomely protective tone in his voice, she glared at him coldly, "And who said I haven't killed her off already? Left her to die in the dry sands of the desert?" she licked her lips, eyes flashing with bloodlust and potent killing intent, "Or tortured her to death myself?"

Cloud's eyes flashed, the mako blue glowing fiercely, "You need her alive to control me. If I knew she was dead I wouldn't comply to help you," he stared her down, knowing his words made sense.

And suddenly, the woman was right in front of him, twin blades hovering dangerously close to his throat, lips quirked in a bloodthirsty smile, serpentine eyes watching his face like a hawk, "Hoho, clever boy aren't you?" her eyes briefly trailed his physique, disappointment flashing in them, "Sadly, you're not my beloved Sephiroth. Outside of gathering S cells, you're of no use to me," with a harsh flick of her wrist, a cut manifested itself on Cloud's cheek, blood spilling forth from the small wound.

He glared, "I don't care what your connection to Sephiroth is," at that, she stopped, "All I came here for is Tifa. I won't bother your cult as long as you stop kidnapping people," the women on either side of him laughed.

Cloud knew they would never be able to get pure S cells anywhere, that hope had died with Sephiroth's last defeat.

The leader smirked, "And you think we would so readily hand her over? No...I find her a valuable instrument in my plans, perhaps even...a new addition to the family?" she giggled before her gaze hardened upon Cloud, " _Sleepel_ ,"

His vision turned blurred, his view of the leader shaking as the echo of her amused laughter filled his ears, the spell's effects came much faster and Cloud instantly collapsed to his feet, falling to an abyss of darkness.

* * *

When he came to, he was bound to the wall, chains keeping him from moving around save for the small length of chain enabling him to touch his wrists. Awareness slowly returning to him, he couldn't help but curl his toes...

Wait...

Quickly, he glanced down at himself. Aside from the fact that his vest war torn...where were his _boots_? How did he end up barefooted? And for what reason? He frowned at the bizarreness of the situation. Pushing the thought aside, he looked around and spotted two guards stationed on the opposite side of the cell, watching him like a hawk, Cloud glared right back.

"What do you hope to achieve?" Cloud's question was met with silence, "You can't get your hands on pure S cells and even with them you wouldn't be able to revive Sephiroth! He's dead," he paused before adding, "For real this time,"

The guards ignored him and Cloud's gaze searched for his weapon again, located behind the two guards.

He frowned, testing the shackles with his strength, they wouldn't budge save for the rattling of the chain. He sighed, hanging his head, feigning defeat. The guards cast each-other a look, before looking back at the seemingly defeated man.

Discreetly flicking his eyes upwards, he saw the guards brief confusion before they turned serious and watched him like a hawk. They were shirtless, save for the armored pants they wore, two battleaxes strapped to their backs, war paint smudged across their faces and neck as well as visible scars marking the expanse of their torsos.

Warriors, Cloud deduced warrior enough to have seen their fair share of fights back in their day. Were they Sephiroth worshippers too? They didn't look the part at least.

" _That woman...she said she would potentially "recruit" Tifa into their little cult. She seems to be interested in recruiting women, but why are the men here? For what purpose?"_ analyzing their positions here and the state of dress they were in, Cloud frowned, " _Just hired muscle? No...those woman can hold their own in a fight but..."_ his eyes widened in recognition, " _When a physical fighter shows up who may overpower their use of materia, the men come into play to finish the job. If I've had cast spells on myself making me immune against their magic, I could have won the fight."_ His gaze moved over to the shackles binding him.

" _The shackles...they aren't infused with magic, so at least I won't have any problems there."_ He looked at the keys strapped to one of the guard's hips, then he eyed the lock leading to freedom, " _Getting those keys won't be an easy feat, considering they seemed intent on not talking to me."_

Cloud went over his limited options and for once he wished he had accepted help, " _Hm...guess that part of me that wanted to fulfill our promise still gets the better of me...even if I'm late..."_ he sighed, shaking his head.

* * *

Loud clicks of heels meeting the ground sounded through the crypt, twin swords slung over wide hips at either side and a staff poised ready held in her hand, cold focused eyes setting on their target.

The woman was bounded tightly, shackles spreading her hands and legs apart to ensure she wouldn't try any foul tricks, a large shackle wrapped around her torso, preventing her from making much movement with her body.

Rumors about the Strife family living in Edge in the bar Seventh Heaven traveled fast, especially since almost all of Edge knew about them. It only took a few coy smiles and seductive glances to get the intel, but subduing the woman was a far different matter.

They hadn't expected her to be an experienced fighter, much less crafty and agile to counter or dodge their materia attacks. She had to resort to use the brute strength of her underlings to subdue her, but even then she had struggled fiercely, knocking two of her four men out. But she could see how the woman used her deceptive looks to her advantage, nobody would think a barmaid to be capable of expert hand to hand combat much less hold her own against experienced fighters such as them.

Thankfully, her magic was strong enough to cast Sleepel on a few people in the vicinity of the bar, allowing for the safe escape out of the town without much trouble.

And then the swordsman came to her aid. Her gaze roved over the woman's unconscious form, lips pulled down in a displeased frown. She couldn't believe that somebody like Cloud Strife had this woman at his side. She had even heard rumors of children, but hadn't encountered any when they took her from her home.

Casting a weak lightning spell at her, the barmaid woke with a start, body shivering and spasms rocking her body with the magic running through her shocked system, eyes wide in surprise and pain but with a firm shake of her head and the tightening of her fists, the shivering stopped and she only took a few shallow breaths to calm down again.

Interesting...she had an abundant amount of self control it seemed...

Her lips curled in a greedy smirk when the barmaid met her eyes, ruby eyes mixed with chocolate burning furiously, looking ready to decimate her with her bare hands if they were free.

She chuckled, "Well, well, well, look who's awake," Tifa scoffed at her.

"Getting bored again, huh? I assume your toys aren't enough to keep you on your toes," Tifa suppressed a cry when another electrical shock, this time more powerful met her full force.

She heaved, glaring at her opponent heatedly. She chuckled again, "Such a petty mouth you have..." ruby red lips smirked evilly, "I have a interesting young man here I think you may know. Blonde spiky hair, not too bad looking if I do say so myself," she giggled, the seductive allure in her voice palpable.

"Cloud!?" Tifa's expression changed, worry shining brightly in her eyes at the prospect of Cloud falling into their hands.

The leader giggled again, "Oh, but don't worry, I'm not interested in him. You can keep your man, but what I am interested in..." she made the bars holding her prisoner disappear, walking toward her to cup her chin with her sharp nails and look her in the eyes, "...is you,"

Tifa defiantly rose her chin, fearlessly glaring at the woman towering over her, "What business do you have with me?"

The woman smirked again, "With your skills, I'm sure we could make a decent member out of you. You see, my followers all honor Sephiroth and his legacy, they worship him as a god, a holy being meant to rightfully rule this world that belonged to his mother so long ago..." she paused, closing her hand into a fist, "Unfortunately, you and your group have crushed that destiny... _twice,_ " she backhanded Tifa harshly, the slapping sound echoing within the cell, redness spreading over Tifa's cheek at the harsh impact on her skin.

But Tifa wasn't deterred, slowly turning her head back toward her to glare at her, "That won't happen, Sephiroth is dead, Cloud defeated him for good,"

The leader smiled, "Are you sure?" at this, Tifa's glare faltered slightly, "Are you really sure he has been defeated once and for all? He has risen a second time, who is to say he can't rise a third time?" she smirked.

Tifa shook her head, "That's impossible, Jenova's remains don't exist anymore and there are no remnants who can plan his resurrection again." Her tone was sure, strong, "There's nothing you can do to revive him!"

A chuckle echoed and entered Tifa's ears, "We only need pure S cells and the rest shall clear itself," she held her hand out, a weapon manifesting within her grip suddenly.

Tifa's eyes widened when she recognized the long sword, "Sephiroth's-"

"Yes, indeed it is," the woman stroked along it's flat side almost lovingly, eyes clouded in the confines of her cherished memories, "And it's wielder shall use it once again," lifting the tip of the blade, she lifted Tifa's chin up to look at her, "But...marring it's beauty with your blood would be a shame..." the sword vanished in the next second again.

"You're insane," Tifa spat, struggling against her shackles, "There's no way you can revive Sephiroth, or get your hands on pure S cells. Cloud doesn't have them and neither do I!" her voice rang in the mistresses ears and her expression contorted into one of anger.

Leaning down to grab a handful of Tifa's hair tightly in her fist, she yanked it up harshly close to her face, the brief, pained yelp Tifa released music to her ears, "You dare insult me, little barmaid?" she tilted Tifa's face to the side, eyeing the expanse of her neck, "Such lovely skin...it would be a shame if it were...sliced open?"

The unsheathing of metal rang in the air loud and clear and the sharp blade pressed threateningly against Tifa's skin, the pugilist took practiced breaths to remain calm facing the imminent danger to her life.

The leader smirked, pressing the weapon close in warning, "Hm..." her eyes suddenly locked onto something on Tifa's vest, "Oh? What's this?" she moved the tip of her sword to push aside the opening to Tifa's vest, something akin to a scar peeking forth, using dexterous fingers to open the zipper and push aside the white shirt beneath Tifa's struggling form, her lips pulled in a delighted, cruel smirk, "Ah...so he has left his mark on you has he?"

The healed but noticeable scar started from the tops of her breasts, running down diagonally and disappearing beneath the protective barrier of her shirt.

"How beautiful...bearing his mark upon your skin..." her tone switched to malicious in an instant, "How blessed you have been all this time...wearing a testimony to his living on you for so long...a mark of his strength..." her eyes narrowed, "Such elegance...wasted on trash like you..." she released Tifa's hair, causing the woman to collapse on her side with a pained grunt.

Tifa lifted her chin, using her legs to prop herself up properly, "You call this mark a blessing from Sephiroth?" Tifa's voice shook with barely suppressed anger, something the barmaid was rarely ever known for, "It is a hollow reminder of my weakness, my weakness to protect my hometown and save my father's life. I bear this scar with all of my shame but I still live to see another day! And you know why?" she smiled, "Because there is so much more to living than this scar I have. I have children that love me, that need me, I have friends to turn to for help and I have a family I have a duty to," her eyes burned bright with determination, "Even if this scar is a testimony to my weaknesses and failures, I smile for the sake of my family!" she averted her gaze to the side, her voice quieter, "I pity you, you know? For not even _having_ the luck that I have,"

Utterly enraged at her words, she lifted her sword high into the air, ready to bring it down with all her strength upon the woman that has insulted her, until the voice of one of her followers rang out, "My Lady!"

She stopped mid swing and slowly turned her head, finding one of her trusted subordinates to be shaking her head.

Picking up the fragile pieces of her carefully composed façade, she lifted herself and the blade away from Tifa, instead knocking her unconscious with the hilt, taking pleasure in the brief yelp of pain before she fell with a thud to the cold ground.

"I hope you have a good reason to interrupt me," her eyes gave her a clear warning, strapping her sword back to her hip.

The follower bowed in respect, "Yes, my Lady. What of the man we captured?" she gazed upon her follower's bowed state.

"Let him rot to his death, I have no use for him after all," she waved her hand in dismissal, walking past her towards the direction of her chambers.

 _"_ _Soon, my love, soon,"_ she thought wistfully, the sounds of her heels touching the ground echoing in her ears.

* * *

Cloud tested out the strength of the shackles again, muscles bulging under the strain of flexing his muscles and trying to break free until one of the guards suddenly spoke in a deep baritone, "It's useless,"

Stopping his attempts Cloud turned his head to look at the guard that spoke. The second one elbowed him none too gently in his side, scowling at him for speaking out of turn.

Cloud used the opening, "I noticed," he paused for a brief moment, "You're Sephiroth worshippers too?" he arched a pale eyebrow at them.

The talkative guard blurted out grumpily, "Something like that..." before being elbowed again by the other one.

"Stop yappin', you're already bound to suffer Her wrath by even speaking to scum like him," he motioned toward Cloud and his companion promptly closed his mouth.

The guard sounded unconvinced of his allegiance to this cult or at least for what they stood for, so his suspicions were correct after all.

Cloud tried again, feigning interest, "Her? You mean your leader? Who is she? I'm trapped here anyway, so there's nothing I can do to harm her," there was a moment of silence, before the surprisingly stricter of the two spoke in a gravelly voice.

"Yeah, her," he grumbled, "She calls herself the Bride of Sephiroth, but we don't know her real name." he hesitated before speaking again, "She started up this cult after the disbandment from that fanclub of Sephiroth's years back,"

Recognition dawned on Cloud, " _That far back? So they've been active for this long...Bride?"_ trying to look innocent enough with his questions, Cloud spoke again, "...Bride?" he tilted his head.

The stricter one huffed, "Yeah, we thought she was delusional when she recruited us. Still do," he cleared his throat, "She's in love with that SOLDIER for years from what we heard. After he was defeated a second time, she completely broke down, nearly wrecked the place," he scoffed, "And us with it..." he mumbled the last part.

Cloud saw an opening there, "I take it she doesn't treat you quite right?"

The talkative one spoke again, "'Quite right' is a very weak term...but yeah, treats us like dogs most of the time,"

"Why don't you leave her service?" again, he arched his eyebrow, this time genuinely curious, "You would be better off as mercenaries somewhere,"

The second guard scoffed, "Sellswords? Yeah, right. We can't complain too much, we got a warm, dry place to sleep and food here. Not to mention the women here," he gave a dirty grin that made Cloud want to frown, "She only recruits women, so that's a bonus for us,"

Cloud countered, "And what are you then?"

"Hired muscle," the talkative one explained plainly, "For when things start to get physical for the ladies in battle. There are opponents immune to some of their magic and they hire us to pummel 'em down,"

So he was right, they were just hired muscle. Cloud tried not to let his façade of compliant prisoner slip, "I still think you could have tried your luck as mercenaries somewhere. Once you've got the money, it should be no problem for you to get a place to sleep and women at your disposal," speaking of women like they were playthings made Cloud uncomfortable, but he had to fit in to gain some of their trust so they let their guards down.

He concentrated on channeling the materia he had absorbed behind his back.

One of them chuckled, "Hm, could have been,"

"Why does she only recruit women?" Cloud's question was met with a mixture of rolling eyes and a growl.

"She thinks men are as dumb as they come, she only has eyes for Sephiroth. Recruiting women here makes her comfortable and she can control them easier, with magic and all. You know how those women are, forming societies with each-other like they're some extinct race needed to be protected," the guard rolled his eyes and his companion laughed at his words.

Cloud couldn't quite blame them for their view on women, considering where they were working and for whom, but he didn't share their views nor their offhand comments about them.

He knew a certain ninja would love to bash their heads in and shout " _Sexist! Sexist!"_ while doing so.

He couldn't help but smirking at the amusing thought, catching the attention of one of the guards, "Hey, whatcha grinnin' so stupidly for?"

Cloud shook his head, remembering how a few men at the bar talk, "Ah, nothing, just thinking 'bout my lady," he smirked, trying to keep in character.

"Lady huh? You mean the busty chick we captured?" he grinned," Sure put up a tough fight for a woman but a damn fine one too," Cloud held off the urge to punch a few teeth out.

"Yeah, she's like that," he hoped he had a believable act, "She's only grown more beautiful through the years, even before she's been quite...buxom and...curvy actually," Cloud felt like he was sure to get punched for those words, by whom he wasn't quite certain, but he had a sinking feeling.

He triumphed slightly when one of the men grinned cheekily, "Ah, a man of taste," he nodded his head to his stricter counterpart, "Say, why have a man like him imprisoned anyway? He's sure to be a good sport, maybe even help us with the lot of women here and keeping them at bay,"

The other narrowed his eyes, but slowly a smirk pulled at his lips, "Hmm...not a bad idea..." his hand moved to the keys at his hips and Cloud made sure to appear completely calm when he approached him and leaned down to free both his hands.

Once his second hand was free, Cloud cast the lightning ball at the guard and stunned him on the spot, punching the second one out cold by his rash attack head forward.

Rubbing his sore wrists, Cloud picked up the fallen keys and freed his legs from the shackles as well, his bare feet numb slightly from the cold ground.

And still no boots... the guard's footwear seemed too big for him to wear.

Grabbing his sword and unlocking the lock, Cloud cautiously made his way out of the cell, trying to decide which way to pick to where Tifa may be.

Hearing approaching footsteps coming, Cloud thought quick on his feet and molded himself into the wall, next to a statue burrowed deeper into the wall than the rest of it, effectively hiding him from view when the women approached.

Holding as still as he possibly could, Cloud sincerely hoped they wouldn't just turn their heads as they passed him.

He froze when he saw them, patiently waiting for them to pass him by, he stiffened when they lightly turned their heads but thankfully they didn't spot him as they were too immersed in their conversation.

Waiting until he could no longer hear their footsteps, Cloud emerged from his hiding spot, swiftly walking in the opposite direction the women had went.

Coming to a halt once he reached the large circular room again, he was greeted by many women along with several men standing vigilant against the walls, he quickly moved behind the cover of the wall before he was spotted, thinking on the best way how to defeat them.

He couldn't sneak past, not when the path was too far away and somebody would spot him sooner or later.

Preparing himself to cast _Wall_ , Cloud was about to reveal himself until a feminine voice suddenly shouted, "Seize him! The prisoner's escaped!"

And suddenly he found destructive spells and a horde of women rushing towards him like a stampede, bringing his sword up and casting _Wall_ , Cloud protected himself from the brunt of the magical attacks, deflecting others with his sword and pushing them away from himself with the flat blade.

They were his enemies, but that didn't mean Cloud would gladly kill them all if he could help it.

Making a backward flip, Cloud attempted to run until he was hit by a powerful ice spell that nearly froze his blood solid.

 _"_ _Ice3. Ice materia,_ " Cloud grunted at the excruciating pain, fighting off the numb feeling overtaking his entire body, willing his fingers to move and bring his sword up to guard but they were too numb to listen to his commands, " _Damn,"_

Before another onslaught of spells could hit him, there was a sudden loud crash that made his ears ring and he was engulfed in darkness.

He wasn't unconscious, of that he was sure of, but when he focused and noticed what had surrounded him was a shade of _red_ and not black, he recognized just who saved him.

"Vincent?" the gunslinger didn't respond, too busy firing explosive projectiles at their incoming enemies.

"Cloud," Vincent answered surprisingly calmly despite rapidly firing from Cerberus and Cloud couldn't wrap his head around it.

"Where are the kids? How did you know I was here?" he called Vincent to watch after Marlene and Denzel not save his ass. Then again, he couldn't deny he appreciated Vincent's help now.

"They are in the airship with Cait Sith, they're fine." Vincent briefly turned his gaze to his friend, "I've received a call from a rather insistent Turk,"

Tseng.

A pang of guilt hit Cloud when the conversation with Tseng resurfaced in his mind, how he rudely told him off. He sighed, guess he had some apologizing to do once this was over.

Wait.

"Airship? Does that mean-" Cloud's question was cut off when a loud, familiar cry reached his ears and he turned around to witness the scene.

Cid came barreling through the women and the few men with his staff, grinning and shouting as he did so, dodging incoming spells swiftly and using his speed to his advantage.

Barret wasn't far behind, crying his battle cry and shooting bullets at everything that moved aided by Yuffie, who expertly flipped in the air and painfully hit a materia user with her large kunai.

"Vinnie! I need some help over here!" Yuffie shouted out, knocking out incoming women.

There was a great sigh from Vincent, moving away from Cloud, "You think you can handle the rest?" he inquired but knew the answer already.

Cloud nodded, smirking, "Thanks," grabbing his sword again, Vincent provided cover for Cloud while the swordsman moved to aid his eccentric friend, who seemed to be enjoying clobbering one of the men a bit _too_ much.

Shaking his head, Cloud advanced onwards, stopping to narrow his eyes at a long hallway, knowing it wouldn't be the wisest thing to do, Cloud called out, "Tifa!"

No answer came but he tried again, "Tifa!" he waited, waited with frayed nerves and boiling blood.

"Cloud!" the familiar voice of the barmaid greeted his ears and Cloud couldn't remember being so relieved.

"Don't worry, I'm coming!" Cloud called out but before he was able to set one foot forward, the windows lining the walls shattered into thousands of glass fragments, littering the expanse of the narrow hallway fully.

Glancing up, Cloud found the Bride of Sephiroth standing at the far end of the hallway, a cruel smirk twisting her lips as her malicious laugh echoed through to him, "You really think I'll make this easy for you, ex-SOLDIER?" she huffed, "I've warned you, you may have defeated the great Sephiroth, but you will _not_ defeat me," her eyes flashed with murderous intent before she walked away, disappearing behind the wall and in the next second, he heard Tifa cry out in pain.

Cloud's body moved forward, "Tifa!" and when sudden, sharp pain assaulted his senses and his leg began to shiver uncontrollably, he looked down.

Dark red liquid covered the surface of the ground, coating the glass shards in his blood, the sharp shards delved deep into his flesh, tearing it open and cutting him painfully so.

Making a pained, disgruntled noise in the back of his throat, Cloud's grip on his sword tightened until his knuckles turned white beneath his gloves, his senses tingling to get away from the pain and mend the wound, but he ignored them, ignored the pain and set forth the other foot.

Closing his eyes at the deep onslaught of pain to his senses and body, Cloud pushed forward, robotically slow movements guiding his body forward until he nearly fell to his knees at the seventh step, panting heavily and trying to get his emotions under control.

He couldn't use a healing materia on himself, he needs it for Tifa and there may be a chance his wounds would close with the shards still imbedded in them. He groaned, closing and opening his eyes, vision beginning to swim and head beginning to pound from the unbearable pain and pressure his feet endured.

Shakily, he moved his other foot forward, already shredded and bleeding flesh meeting new shards and he cried out briefly in pain at the feeling of wounds being torn open anew.

" _I'm not to fit to help anyone,"_ his own words echoed within his mind, heart feeling heavy when he remembered what prompted him to say them in the first place.

He had been helpless, useless in trying to help his friends. Zack and Aerith had died as a consequence of his incompetence and now they had Tifa. Would Tifa die? Because of his incompetence again?

" _No_ ," he gripped the hilt of his sword tighter, _"I...I can't let that happen...not Tifa...not her..."_ Cloud grit his teeth.

" _Hey Cloud, you'll come back, right?"_ Denzel's voice reached his ears, a fearful inquiry before he had set off to another delivery, his first delivery after the defeat of Sephiroth.

" _Cloud! Look! I've gotten better at drawing,"_ Marlene had shown him a picture, a picture of five people, a picture of them. A picture of their family.

 _"_ _No! Tifa!"_ Cloud shook his head, screaming in his mind to stop the memories from resurfacing but a sudden weight on his shoulder made him freeze.

"Cloud," Cloud thought he had heard wrong, no...it couldn't possibly be...he hadn't heard them since that time in the church-

"...Zack?" Cloud turned his head to the side, but instead of disappearing, the nearly ghostly image of Zack remained, smiling encouragingly at him.

"Hey buddy, long time no see huh?" he smiled warmly, before noticing the bloody mess that were Cloud's feet and winced in sympathy, "Hey that doesn't look too good, now does it?"

Cloud would have snorted weren't he so distraught, "I...I..."

"Listen," Zack's calm, firm voice sought his attention and his only, "You can do this, Cloud. You've already beaten Sephiroth twice didn't you? This should be a cinch, right?" he smirked.

Noticing the dark one way road his thoughts were taking, Zack squeezed his shoulder and surprisingly, Cloud felt the ghostly touch of his friend, "Remember who you're doing this for, Cloud. That's all that matters," and with that Zack was gone.

Left alone to his thoughts, Cloud swallowed, mind clearing again, the shackles his heart had been bound in breaking apart. Lifting his head, Cloud took a deep breath, fingers flexing and curling around his sword before he fell into a dead sprint, squinting slightly at every new flesh wound inflicted to the already open and bleeding wounds on his soles.

He could do this, he _would_ do this, for Tifa, for his family.

 _For himself._ A voice at the back of his mind told him and Cloud smiled, recognizing it to be his own and not Sephiroth's.

"Tifa!" Cloud slammed open the door, sword poised at the ready, ready to meet its foes.

Mako blue eyes narrowed angrily at the sight that greeted him, Tifa bound and held by the hair by the Bride of Sephiroth harshly, a blade warningly close to her throat and a cruel smirk twisting the features of the Bride.

What absolutely _enraged_ him was the state Tifa was in, he could tell she took quite the beating and knowing from experiencing she could take a punch just as well as she could deliver it, he shuddered to think how much damage that wretched woman inflicted upon her.

Usually unblemished skin suffered red welts, shallow cuts, deep blue and purple marks primarily over arms and legs and she winced every time she breathed, indicating a possible injury to her stomach.

His eyes zeroed in on the zipper of her vest, broken, showing a bit of her white shirt. Rage filled him at the thought of what the Bride did to Tifa, exposing her deepest fear like that, Sephiroth's scar.

In the years they have met again following the events of Nibelheim, Cloud had quickly picked up on the fact that Tifa was very careful to not show that particular battle scar to anyone.

Her white shirt never exposed her cleavage, always covering her rather modestly, a trait of her shy personality and the added black vest donned over it another precautious measure, an added wall she built around it, feeling safer that way.

She only took the vest off when she was alone or in very rare cases in Cloud's presence, but even then he respected her privacy and left her to herself. She never showed it to the children and when they would go for a swim in the insufferable heat of Edge, she would wear a full body swimsuit or something to cover the scar. He suspected she hadn't told them yet, nor would he. Despite already experiencing so much for their young age, they didn't need to add their own demons to the pile as well.

They would tell them when they were older, maybe.

Tifa's warm chocolate burgundy eyes were slightly pained but determined, meeting Cloud's and reassuring him with her gaze alone that she was okay, that they would be okay.

She was always the stronger one, something he would willingly admit should anyone ever ask. He may be physically stronger, but she was the center pillar that held everything together, their friends, their little family, everything. Without her, he wasn't sure how they would manage like they did.

And he didn't intend to find out today.

Selecting a side blade and moving it in his other hand, Cloud's gaze moved to the smirking Bride, "Let her go,"

The Bride laughed maniacally, a crazed look in her eyes, yet something so very malicious and dark in them, "Oh, don't give me that hero speech. I've lost somebody dear to me too haven't I?" her eyes softened for the briefest of moments, before she lifted the blade higher to Tifa's neck, "Would it not be fair that you lose the woman you love as well?"

Pearly white teeth grinned in a bloodthirsty grin as she lifted the sword higher, ready to slice off Tifa's neck and Cloud's body moved but panic drove him, he wasn't sure if he was fast enough to stop her. But he _had_ to be.

Just as the sharp blade would have made contact with Tifa's neck, the barmaid threw her head back, harshly slamming it in the Bride's midsection before she lifted her bound arms up and slammed them hard against one of her wrists, making the woman cry out in pain.

Quickly rolling to the side and shakily standing up, Cloud caught Tifa when she was about to fall down again.

"Are you alright?" it was a stupid question, considering her injuries were in plain sight, but she smiled nonetheless.

"Mhm, I'm fine," she held her hands out to him when Cloud freed them of the rope holding them together and she immediately donned her gloves.

She took a fighting stance and they were side by side, watching the Bride writhe in agony before Tifa pointedly looked at Cloud's state of dress, "...I hope you're not going for a country boy look just yet," her eyebrow arched in amusement until she spotted the small pool of blood gathering beneath Cloud's bare feet.

"Cloud!" she kneeled by his side and Cloud felt touched at her concern.

"I'm alright but come here," he motioned with his hand and before she could question him, a warm, refreshing green glow enveloped her.

A healing materia.

"Cloud, do you have another one? You have to heal your feet!" but Cloud shook his head, concentrating on the angry Bride. Tifa's injuries healing much to his great relief and she stood straighter now, no longer hindered by the pain in her stomach.

"Don't worry about me," he looked at the pathway he walked through, "The team is fighting against her followers when you walk through that hallway. There are shards littering the ground but you should have no problem coming through," subtly indicating at her thicker laced shoes.

Tifa's stubborn side resurfaced and her voice was soft yet firm when she talked to him, "I won't leave you behind, after all I have a score to settle with her too," clenching her hands into fists Tifa was about to take a fighting stance until Cloud's hand on her shoulder gave her pause.

He shook his head silently, gaze uncharacteristically soft and pleading. He squeezed her shoulder and wordlessly, Tifa understood what he was trying to tell her.

He was worried about her.

She should rest.

He was more than likely going to kill this woman for hurting her and he didn't want her to see it.

Understanding his silent message, Tifa nodded but squeezed the hand that was on her shoulder tightly, nodding at him.

Cloud smiled and nodded and she ran past him.

A cackle reverberated off the walls and Cloud's gaze returned to the Bride, "How sweet, sending your lover away so you can do the grunt work hm?" her gaze suddenly darkened, "So, you think she wouldn't have been able to kill me?" her eyes flickered to his sword, "Of course, the job would be cleaner without her dirtying her pretty hands,"

Cloud remained silent, not willing to fall for her jabs and taunts.

She smiled deliciously evil, "I must confess..." she walked around slowly, twin swords in hand, "Hearing her screams of pain...feeling her ribs crack under the pressure...seeing the _fear_ and despair in her eyes..." Cloud snorted, one foot stepping forward, to balance his weight and his sword, ignoring the stabbing pain running through him.

"Tifa wasn't afraid of you, she would never be knowing she could beat you at any second," Cloud was surprised to not receive a violent reaction from the woman, rather she started to laugh.

"Oh really? I had her under my mercy for hours and hours," she licked her lips, "Choking her until she couldn't breathe...then before she passed out I would release her and let her breathe for a few seconds before starting again..." her eyes flashed, "Crushing her ankle beneath the weight of my boot...hearing the sickening crack of bone..." she laughed in delight, "Her shaking and shivering when I revealed her scar...those screams of delight," she closed her eyes as if in bliss.

Cloud's hands briefly shook with barely suppressed rage and he shot forward with speed even Reno would envy him for, but she brought her swords up just in time to guard, two forces clashing against each-other, willing the other to back down.

Releasing a torrent of lighting, Cloud was pushed back, hissing loudly when his bare, injured feet slid against the rough terrain of the cobblestone floor.

She smirked, cocking her hip to one side, "You're a failure," Cloud watched her movements carefully, "You didn't join SOLDIER, not cut out to be one of the greatest of the great, never hopeful to be able to surpass the strength and prowess of by far the strongest First Class SOLDIER there was," he knew exactly who she was talking about, "It still haunts you, doesn't it?" she hissed out the next part venomously like a snake, " _Their deaths_ ,"

Cloud's eyes widened for the briefest of seconds, "What do you know?" he smirked, "You just know what your fanclub supplies you and that's false information,"

She smirked, "You're mistaken, _murderer_ ," Cloud's blood ran cold, "I know all about that flower girl that was killed...killed by your _incompetence_ to save her," his grip on his sword tightened and his jaw clenched, "Zack Fair, a promising SOLDIER, gunned down and shredded to pieces of torn, dead flesh by his very own company, his very own men. The sting of betrayal had stung, but the knowledge of killing your best friend...tell me, how much did that hurt?" her eyes flashed with malicious intent, "Did you enjoy seeing the light fade from his eyes? See the sword sticking from the body of the flower girl?"

Conflicted emotions whirled within Cloud and he willed himself to calm down, "Tell me, _murderer_ , did you enjoy seeing their deaths were slow and painful ones?"

Before Cloud could unleash all the suppressed anger that had welled up inside of him at her words, the unexplainable _rage_ that boiled within his blood and the killer intent he wanted to bestow her with, there was a blur of black and brown.

"You're talking too much," Tifa grunted and slammed her feet against the Bride's midsection, surely breaking a rib..or three. The Bride cried out in pain, body slamming painfully against the wall but Tifa immediately grabbed the back of her dress, hauling her into the air and slamming her fists repeatedly into her face and stomach, kicking her harshly in the stomach again and slamming her down to the ground face first, before landing on her feet in a crouch.

Tifa turned around, watching how the Bride shakily tried propping herself up but finding she couldn't. Blood marring her face, one arm bending in a unnatural angle and blood seeping slowly but steadily from her mouth.

Tifa returned her attention to Cloud and could see his distress, she smiled softly, "Missed me?" she smiled at him sweetly.

"Tifa..." he swallowed, looking back and forth between her and the Bride.

The barmaid approached him slowly and before he could process what had just transpired, she hugged him tightly to herself, pressing her face into the crook of his neck, her warm breath warming him from the inside, "We both have demons in our pasts Cloud, they may follow us every now and then to cause mischief but we can never let them rule over us like they did in the past," she fisted the torn material of his vest, "We have fears, like every other person and that's nothing to be ashamed about." She released a shaky breath, but her voice was sure, "You didn't kill them Cloud, it wasn't you." She whispered in his ear and he felt a slight sting at the back of his eyes.

"Aerith and Zack wouldn't want you to think that and neither do I," she smiled gently up at him, brushing his blonde spikes from his eyes, "You tried to save them Cloud, some things simply aren't in our power and that's okay too. We learn from them, right?" she smiled and this time Cloud wrapped an arm around her and pressed her close, taking in her scent.

She smelled of sweat and dirt and blood, but also of her own scent and that made him smile, she was here, she was safe.

"You told me that words aren't the only way you can show affection..." he whispered close to her ear and Tifa felt like her face was on fire.

Quickly but gently breaking the embrace, Tifa promptly turned to the beat up Bride, "R-right, what should we do with her?" she straightened her hair a little, looking a bit flushed.

Cloud smirked at her shyness but shook his head, hefting his heavy sword on one shoulder, "Leave her, she won't have much longer," he inclined his head toward the puddle of blood beginning to form beneath her cowering form, blood dripping from the corners of her mouth.

Gently guiding Tifa away from the scene, Cloud cast a last look at the Bride, feeling just a spark of pity for the woman.

She had dearly loved Sephiroth, a man she thought she could never stand next to due to his status and fame and thus always felt inferior. Her building this cult made her feel closer to him even if she wasn't and hearing of his death must have caused her unbearable heartbreak to drive her to the point of insanity. Attempting to resurrect him and endanger her own life showed just how in love she was with a man that never even knew she existed.

Cloud closed his eyes in silent respect and followed after Tifa.

A sudden sharp hiss made Tifa turn around and she found Cloud inspecting his foot, the flesh torn horribly and bleeding.

She frowned, pulling a handkerchief from her side pocket and gently wiping away the little shard fragments and blood still sticking to it before tenderly wrapping the foot in the cloth, digging out her second handkerchief to do the same to his other injured foot.

She stood up and smiled at him, "It may not help much, but it will have to do before we can treat them back home," Cloud had the urge to hug her again when suddenly Nanaki called out to them.

"Cloud! Tifa!" the beast grinned toothily, seeing his companions were alright.

"Watch out Nanaki, there is glass on the floor!" Tifa warned, watching how the animal effortlessly walked over them to stand in front of them.

"Thanks to my blood I have thicker skin to protect my paws," he grinned but frowned when he looked at Cloud's bloodied feet, "I'm sorry to say you aren't blessed the same,"

Cloud shook his head, "It's alright," he smiled a small smile.

Nanaki presented his back to them, "Get on kids, I will take you to the other side,"

Nodding, Cloud carefully climbed atop Nanaki while Tifa was content to walk beside them, not minding the glass due to her thick soles.

The small group arrived back in the large circular room and found it littered with the bodies of their defeated enemies and their friends cheering and smiling when they saw them emerge from around the corner.

"Spike! There you are! Been wonderin' why we're doin' all the fighting here!" Barret grinned, waving a fist in the air.

Cloud smirked, "I've had my own battle to fight," Tifa comfortingly placed a hand on his forearm and he nodded in thanks.

"Thank you for coming here," he nodded at all of them and they smiled in turn.

Yuffie sighed dreamily, her pockets looking suspiciously large, "Ahhh, I've heard these old hags were experienced materia users so I thought I could grab a few. Bet they didn't know I can pick locks too!" she grinned proudly, lifting a hand to show a bright blue materia in her palm, "That treasure room was _wicked_!" she grinned happily.

"Thief," Cid spat playfully, earning a glare from Yuffie.

"Huh? You talking to me you old pirate?" she seized him up but the scene looked far too comical with their height differences.

Vincent shook his head before eyeing Cloud, "I see you haven't escaped unscathed," he indicated at Cloud's injured feet and Cloud smirked.

"It would have been worse had you not come," he cleared his throat, "I would need to make a stop by Healen Lodge,"

Vincent shook his head, "He knows you had no ill intent," his small smirk wasn't visible from behind the protection of his high collared cloak, "A Turk reads between the lines,"

Cloud nodded but added, "Wouldn't you know," he smirked and Vincent turned his head, huffing softly in playful annoyance.

"Well? Whatcha waitin' for? The ship ain't gonna fly itself!" Cid barked, waving the group over.

"Yer itchin' to just go back to yer precious ship ain't ya?" Barret grinned and Cid bristled.

"You saying somethin' bout my ship?" he grinned, playfully swinging his lance.

Barret barked with laughter and the two men playfully pushed each-other as the group headed toward the exit, "Wouldn't wanna fight an old man with his walking stick, Cid,"

"Yeah righ' yer only scared shitless yer gonna lose the few teeth ya have," he ducked from an incoming fist and roared with laughter at Barret's glare.

Tifa moved closer to Cloud and supported some of his weight, "I won't hear a no from you now," he looked down at the top of her head, allowing her to take a bit of his weight, "The kids must be worried," he hummed in agreement, "I think you lost some weight,"

Cloud smirked, "Probably from all that dilly dally,"

Tifa laughed.

* * *

 **Epilogue will be following in the next chapter! So what do you think? Thank you all for reading! :)**


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